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A new breakthrough in the way we fight sexually transmitted diseases could be a complete game changer, because within the next few months, condoms that can kill HIV, HPV and herpes could be hitting the market. An Australian biotech firm has developed a gel called VivaGel that actually fights STDs and has proven effective in killing 99.9% of viruses.

Right now, the condom has received approval for release in Australia and marketing approval in Japan, which means it could be hitting the shelves there within a few months. Australian firm Starpharma created the gel alongside Ansell, a major condom producer in the country.

According to the CDC, 1.3 million people are living with HIV in the US and a fifth of those people are unaware. And while infection rates have remained fairly stable in the US, other viruses are still major health threats. HPV remains the most common STD in the US and at least one in every six people in the US is infected with herpes, so the condom has the potential to improve countless lives in the US and the world.

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*Also see http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20142207-25898.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencealert-latestnews+%28ScienceAlert-Latest+Stories%29